ProTeam Liam Slock: “I am a rouleur”

For the 22-year-old Liam Slock, GP La Marseillaise will be his first race as a professional cyclist. The rider from Lochristi, Belgium steps up from the Lotto Dstny Development Team together with Lennert Van Eetvelt. Prior to his pro debut, Slock talks about his expectations, ambitions and time at the Development Team.

You completed your first training camp with the Lotto Dstny ProTeam, did you already learn something?

“At the training camp, I immediately noticed that things are much more professional. At the U23 category, you also train hard and a lot, but as a pro you are expected to follow your schemes a bit more strict. It is fantastic to train together with experienced pros and I try to learn as much as possible. The riders are also really welcoming towards the new guys, which makes it nice to integrate into the team.”

What do you expect of your first year as a pro?

“The most important thing is to discover what it’s like to race and live like a pro. But I also have the ambition to get a few nice results. Of course, I realise that I will have to work for the team but I also hope to show myself now and then.”

Which type of rider is Liam Slock?

“My main strength is to ride fast. I can sustain efforts pretty long and I don’t break easily. I am a real fighter and I’m never giving up. Already since the U23 category, it’s clear that I want to further evolve into that kind of rider. Trying to win stages from the early breakaway, like Brent Van Moer did in the Dauphiné for example, is something that I’d really like to do as well. But first, the focus is on developing, step by step.”

Which race do you like the most?

“Paris-Roubaix. As a Belgian, I should probably say the Ronde van Vlaanderen, but still the cobbles of Roubaix stand out for me. Due to injuries and Covid, I could unfortunately never participate in the U23 version. Hopefully, that will change quickly at the pros.”

Your pro debut will be at the GP La Marseillaise.

“Yes, it is immediately a hard race and it will hurt for sure. It will be a good first test to see where I’m at and which areas I still need to improve in. Personally, I try to limit my own expectations, it will be a case of executing my task for the team to the best of my abilities. Because with Arnaud we will have a really strong and fast guy at the start.”

Together with Lennert Van Eetvelt, you make the step from the Development Team to ProTeam. How do you look back on that period?

“I was part of the team for two seasons and up till now, it has been the best time out of my career. You get the perfect guidance and the whole team is at a high level, which ensures that you automatically get better. And it is nice to see so many familiar faces at the pro team.”

What is your best memory at the Development team?

“I’m not going for a victory, because that would be too easy. I’m thinking of a memory from the Tour de Bretagne. In a 200-kilometre stage, I missed the early breakaway but afterwards I tried to close a 3’30” gap together with my teammate Lars Van Ryckeghem. We succeeded, but it was all in vain because we got caught again in the final lap. Nevertheless, it was a nice moment which we still talk about quite often.”

What is your favourite place to train?

“I am living in Lochristi, so the Flemish Ardennes are always within reach. But actually, I prefer to train a bit more uphill in the ‘real’ Ardennes for example. But thanks to the mild climate, the area around Calpe (Spain) is a bit more enjoyable.”

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